**The Great Loo Roll Debate** • Toilet paper was first invented in China in the [13th Century](https://victoriaplum.com/blog/posts/history-of-the-toilet-roll#:~:text=The%20first%20commercially%20available%20toilet,Scott%20Paper%20Company%20of%20Philadelphia.), but was only first sold in a roll in 1857 in America. Ever since, humans have argued over the correct orientation of toilet roll. There are two schools of thought: that toilet paper should be hung ‘over’, with the loose end on top; or that toilet paper should be hung ‘under’, with the loose end behind the roll. The sociologist [Edgar Alan Burns](https://www.jstor.org/stable/3211429?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents) argues for the sociological significance of this debate. • Proponents of the ‘Over’ school contend that this method of hanging is more hygienic. In a [scientific study of bacteria in bathrooms](https://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/the-correct-way-to-hang-toilet-paper-according-to-.html), researchers found that most bacteria could be spread through contact with contaminated surfaces. When toilet paper is hung ‘over’, you only touch the toilet paper itself, reducing this risk, whereas when toilet paper is hung ‘under’, it is likely that your hand may touch the contaminated wall behind it. • However, ‘Underists’ argue that hanging the loose end ‘under’ creates a [“natural tension”](https://thetylt.com/culture/toilet-paper) that helps to tear a sheet off and prevents accidental unravelling, which is more economical and sustainable. Many prefer the aesthetics of a toilet roll hung in this manner, as they believe it looks tidier.